Intel Corp. indicated at A.G. Edwards computer/microprocessortechnology conference that transistor miniaturization is expected toproceed further and currently the company is on track to start makingcentral processing units (CPUs) using 32nm process technology startingfrom 2009. It is not the first time when Intel reaffirms itsclients and investors that it is able to start 32nm production in 2009.Due to very thin structures of transistors in case of 32nm processtechnology, special – extreme ultraviolet lithography – tools areneeded for appropriate production. The main idea of extreme ultravioletlithography is ability to "draw" substantially finer circuits on waferswhen making chips than it is possible today.

Development of such manufacturing tools is a very complex process that may slowdown deployment adoption of the new fabrication process. In early 2004Intel provided Cymer, a leading supplier of deep ultraviolet lightsources used in semiconductor manufacturing, $20 million in fundingover the following three years to accelerate development ofproduction-worthy extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography light sources. View: The full story